Students in the U.S. and Canada will modify new Chevrolet Malibu models to reduce the environmental impact of the sedans.
Students from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, the University of Waterloo and the University of Victoria joined representatives from the Government of Canada and General Motors today to launch the universities’ participation in EcoCAR2: Plugging in to the Future.
The competition employs Canadian engineering students, together with 13 U.S. university teams, to explore ways to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles without “compromising” performance, safety and consumer acceptability. (See General Motors Announces EcoCar2 at SAE World Congress)
“The Government of Canada has a proud history of investing in the country’s future generation of scientists and engineers,” said Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa. “Supporting our science students will enhance Canadian leadership in clean energy technology innovation.”
The three-year contest for colleges will modify new Chevrolet Malibu models to reduce the environmental impact of the sedans. The U.S. Department of Energy, via taxpayers, is also subsidizing the program for 16 university teams.
EcoCar2 builds on the first EcoCar Challenge that ended this past spring. Argonne National Laboratory, a DOE R&D facility, organized and operated the contest, and General Motors provided vehicles, parts, technical expertise and proving ground access.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
